Bread flower with pesto, ricotta, and sun-dried tomatoes

"A very simple and rather quick-to-make leavened dough, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, containing a delicious filling of ricotta, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes. Not only delicious to eat but also captivating to look at thanks to its shape resembling a newly bloomed flower."

This delicious recipe by Azzurra Sprinkles Dress, made with our Tradizione Extra Virgin Olive Oil, will enrich your summer tables with taste and beauty. It will be perfect as a centerpiece from which each guest can take and detach a "petal" to savor its goodness.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 550 g bread and pizza flour
• 330 ml water at room temperature
• 1/2 sachet dry active yeast
• 3 tablespoons "Tradizione Amabile" extra virgin olive oil from Oleificio Fratelli Vieste
• 1 level tablespoon salt
• 250 g cow's milk ricotta
• 2 teaspoons pesto
• 14 sun-dried tomatoes in oil

Method

1. In a bowl, mix the flour with the dry yeast, then start adding the water little by little, kneading in a stand mixer with a hook attachment or by hand.
2. Add the oil, then finally the salt. Knead for at least 10 minutes until you get a soft and elastic dough.
3. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let it rise in a turned-off oven until doubled in size, for about 3 hours.
4. Roll out the risen dough into a rather thin rectangle and cut out 14 circles about 10/12 cm in diameter.
5. Mix ricotta and pesto together and generously fill each circle with a teaspoon of this mixture. Finish by placing a sun-dried tomato in oil on top.
6. Close the dough circles by joining the edges at the top and sealing them very well with your fingers. You will get small rolls with two points and an opening at the top.
7. Arrange them next to each other, like spokes, in a baking pan, forming a flower shape.
8. Let it rise again for at least 30 minutes, then bake at 200 degrees (static oven) for about 20 minutes. It will be ready when nicely golden. Serve immediately.

A few tips:

• You can prepare the bread in advance, but reheat it in the oven for a few minutes so it becomes crispy again.
• The bread flower keeps well covered with cling film or foil for a couple of days. Note that it contains ricotta inside, which can spoil quickly, especially in warm weather.